The islands

West of Jaffna, a string of islands straggle out into the waters of the Palk Strait towards India. Two of them – Kayts and Karaitivu – virtually join up with the mainland, to which they’re connected by causeways, as is Punkudutivu further west. Punkudutivu is the starting point for ferries to Nainativu, home to two important religious shrines, and the remote island of Delft.

There are few specific sights. The point and pleasure of a trip here is in the journey, and in the subtle but memorable land- and seascapes, with the flat and largely uninhabited islands merging almost imperceptibly into the blue waters of the Jaffna lagoon and Palk Strait. There’s also an undeniable pleasure in simply reaching such a remote and little-visited corner of Sri Lanka.